5 starsWhen I say I want books about faeries this is what I mean Give me piskies brownies boggarts I want all of them Horton weaves a tale that feels like a folklore tale we already know but imparts his own spin like all good folk horror should be The moors were so vivid that I could be running wild on them with Nancy. Book grocer tullamarine I loved Nancy as a character so much She was so headstrong and I loved seeing how she overcame what the plot threw her way And I adored her relationship with Pel he s really such a grumpy old man The themes of folklore vs faith were so interesting to read and I cannot wait to see what happens next 1837860718 I received the ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Gorse bush British folklore is my catnip both personally and academically so when I spotted this cover on Netgalley I snatched it so fast The blurb and the cover promised something like Zoe Gilbert s Folk a remote village with old customs and beliefs and its own logic and law And it delivered in this regard but where Gilbert needs a few words to paint the atmosphere Horton needs pages and pages The book drags there is no other word for it The plot picks up at about 50 % the point when I was thoroughly fed up with the writing style Horton seems to think that to make the writing interesting poetic atmospheric he has to make it disjointed Like this Forming sentences without a a proper verb Adding several to each page Making readers weep and tear their hair. Gorsey bank I did like the story and the characters are fascinating especially Nancy and the tattooist I would love to read about them together as there was a hint of feelings and that part was very well written but the style is hindering both It seems to get better as the book progresses as if Horton himself got bored by the artificiality of it. Pdf grocery shopping list All in all this book needs merciless editor s help This reads like a pretentious self edited draft of someone who loves their words too much to cut them 1837860718 This is the best story of the Little Folk I have ever read It was quite dark Absolutely nothing like Holly Black and closer to Juliet Marillier The conflict between religion and superstition comes to a head for the villagers I can t wait to see how the story continues Many thanks to NetGalley for an ark of this book 1837860718 Gorse is the dark folk fantasy of my dreams I loved it It hit so many of my favourite beats folklore small town nonsense complicated platonic relationships and felt folkloric itself in being a familiar story shape richly executed with the very satisfying oh yes I know this story it s a good one can t wait to see how this storyteller tells it to me In particular the web of mirroring and influence between the four leads was delicious and so narratively and thematically satisfying and oh the ATMOSPHERE I could roll around in it forever Overall this is a lush gorgeous debut from an author I m so excited to keep following Thank you very much to Solaris and NetGalley for the eARC 1837860718 Set in 18th century Cornwall this speculative and spectacular fiction was the dark decadent folk story of my dreams small town politics of a traditional rural village battle with their beliefs described as The Bear and the Nightingale meets Poldark I d say that s pretty much spot on but also add in a sprinkling of Midnight Mass and my nans favourite Midsomer Murders infused with unease and tension this kept me captivated throughout the old versus new faith was fascinating and well written this is definitely not a light read it demands you slow down and really absorb the prose which is rich and beautiful and oozes atmosphere onto every page conflict between religion and superstition were the backbone of this book this was ultimately about how our beliefs shape not only our lives but the very essence of who we are if you enjoy books that challenge and like to slowly digest and linger in sumptuous prose then this is for you 1837860718

Gorse Author Sam K. Horton By Sam K. Horton

1837860718

9781837860715

English

400

Hardcover

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Gorse is a speculative fiction novel set in the 18th century marketed as Poldark meets The Bear and the Nightingale While I had anticipated a story akin to Poldark but with magic Gorse offers a unique narrative that sets it apart from this comparison The book delves into the transition of societies from magic traditional beliefs to Christianity and explores the relationship between the two systems While it took some time to immerse myself in the plot and understand its rules the two main characters Pel and his student Nancy are intriguing The novel unfolds slowly with heavy descriptions making it less suitable for light reading Despite its beautiful language it may not appeal to everyone and its marketing should not oversell its resemblance to Poldark Overall I enjoyed the book for its well written prose thorough research and exploration of thought provoking issues even though it wasn t exactly what I had anticipated. Gorsenia b2b Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review 1837860718 This book was so good I picked it for the cover but the plot did not disappoint Nancy and Pel are fighting an uphill battle through this book there s a battle between the old ways and respecting the folklore of the village versus modern religious ways of the church People are being found dead and this causes uproar and a lot of finger pointing I loved the mystery the folklore and the dark religious aspects that this story created 1837860718 With thanks to NetGalley and partners for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Book grocer This is my first 5 star book of the year What a deliciously decadent novel I am both incredibly excited that this is a first in a series and beside myself with grief at how long I might have to wait for a sequel Please please Sam K Horton will you give us of C x and perhaps a little romance with Nance Anyway I digress I only give five stars to novels that have BOTH a fantastic plot as well as the most beautiful writing and Gorse certainly succeeds in both I read this book over the course of two days neglecting all other everyday responsibilities The world building is very well set up and clearly well researched and the descriptive language some might call over indulgent but I am all here for it means it is literally dripping with atmosphere I m sure I could feel the rain on my skin than once I will borrow a quote from the novel itself These are not the sort of books that can be flicked through idly they require an active read Every single word every sentence demanded you slow down and really consider its meanings the metaphors were so clever Oh and that s not even taking into account the stunning cover A real treasure Did I mention I can t wait for the sequel If you loved this do make sure you read You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce another 5 star read of mine with very similar vibes Ps I will forgive you for using okay in an 18th century novel but only because it s an ARC I hope it s removed by the time it s published 1837860718 Honestly I couldnt have picked a better book to read I LOVED this book This really is what fiction is about Wrapping you in magic and wonder and tales of the old ways When Piskies and Brownies roamed the Moors and villages and darker creatures roamed Underhill Transporting you to other magickal worlds with the authors beautifully crafted language and world building. Gore public library How is this a debut Talk about captivating atmospheric magic folk vibes but not the cute friendly kind More the way they used to be portrayed Dark creepy atmospheric Brothers Grimm kinda vibes Tales of an Underhill King of a fearsome Hunt and creatures that you most certainly did NOT want to meet at night. Pdf grocery list printable And some cute helpful ones too This was a magickal story following Pel and Nancy Keepers of the balance between realms as the seek to restore that balance following a string of brutal murders on the Moor. Gorse foraging Described as The Bear and the Nightingale meets Poldark in this stunning historical fantasy debut where folklore battles faith in 18th century Cornwall this is a book and author to have on your radar for sure Hints of a follow up at the end and I for one can not wait to see this out in the world I was gifted a copy of this by the publishers but all thoughts are my own 1837860718 The moor is a place of magic of spriggans and piskies and fey creatures of the earth They shelter the crops from storms and just as readily lead wanderers out into the peat bogs with song and whispering lights When the folk of Mirecoombe start turning up dead in the marshes face down in the water the townspeople turn to the Reverend s Church of fire and brimstone and turn their backs on the creatures of the moor Nancy and Pel Keepers of the moor and liaisons between humans and the fey are faced with the task of solving the murders and proving their own innocence as accusations of witchcraft and trickery fly The Undermoor stirs Something foul is afoot in the grasses Something cursed walks the moor. Gorsepaw Gorgeously dark and whimsical and lyrical this story is the gothic sister to Emily Wilde The physical structuring of the story sentence by sentence was a wonderful experiment in punctuation and dramatisation which I absolutely adored and I thought the extremely distant third person perspective worked so so well The descriptions of the moor of the hilltops of Mirecoombe of the sky and absolutely stunning and it felt like actually being in England oh my gosh I also really enjoyed the toying with religion and tradition the old gods versus the new and found the underlying tensions of faith and belief really well done without taking over the vibes of the story I thought the ending wrapped up a bit fast and wasn t necessarily satisfied with it but I still really really enjoyed this and overall would 100% recommend it 1837860718 The Bear and the Nightingale meets Poldark in this stunning historical fantasy debut where folklore battles faith in 18th century Cornwall Cornwall 1786 For years the villagers of Mirecoombe have turned to their Keeper the old and battle scarred Lord Pelagius Hunt mediator between the worlds of men and fey for help But this is a time of change Belief in the old ways in the piskies and spriggans has dimmed kindled instead in the Reverend Cleaver s fiery pulpit His church stands proud above the mire God s name is whispered hushed loved And now death stalks Mirecoombe on the moor There are corpses in the heather There is blood in the gorse Nancy Bligh is determined to do what Pel will not maintain the balance between the fey and the human world be the Keeper that he refuses to be Blessed with natural sight friend to spriggans piskies and human locals of Mirecoombe Nancy has power that Pel never had and never lets her use But as Mirecoombe falls into darkness perhaps her time has come A poignant and lyrical examination of faith love and grief Gorse asks what do we choose to believe in and how does that shape who we are Gorse Author Sam K Horton.

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Thank you to Solaris for my review copy.4